Local plans plots & schemes

There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know. Donald Rumsfeld (2002)

A nectar point network consists of a collection of local action plans to establish plots of nectar-producing plants and monitor their impact on local populations of nectar-feeding insects.  This page presents examples of community projects.

1 Butterflies in the streets of Mumbai

The following is an example of a nectar point scheme from the Bring Back Insects project in the Indian city of Mumbai, where increasing urbanisation has led to a loss of greenery and dwindling of the city's butterfly population.   About 150 species of butterflies are found in Mumbai and the plan is for school children to plant nectar-rich plants in public parks and gardens. The aim is to is provide a conducive environment for different species of butterflies to thrive.  Specifically the objective is to attract two species, the Grass Jewel, among the tiniest butterflies in the world, and the Blue Mormon, among the largest. 

The students will plant saplings of the trailing shrubby tropical perennial Lantana montividensis that has pale purple nectar-rich flowers which bloom continuously in warm climates.

The pre-stage of the project involves visits to gardens near civic schools so that zones suitable for butterfly-attracting plants can be identified. The project has financial support from the state government under the 'Call for Green Ideas' scheme to encourage community participation in ecological initiatives.

The first saplings will be planted at a public park and the students will visit the butterfly zones periodically and note down species sightings in a specially designed monitoring form. Their work will be assessed and they will be given medals and certificates.  

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-15/mumbai/39280575_1_nectar-plants-butterfly-population-species

http://wovensouls.org/2011/01/22/street-shrines-of-india/ 

Comment

Although the Mumbai project takes the classic four step logic of management planning i.e. defining the issue, identifying a limiting factor, removing the limiting factor and monitoring to see what happens, it is really an experiment in citizen science.  That is to say, there will be other factors, at present unknown, apart from nectar availability, that are causing the decline in Mombai's butterflies.  Also, there may be other nectar sources that are more suitable for the purpose of boosting the nectar supply.  However, as a first step, the monitoring work will be expected to reveal some of these unknowns and suggest modifications to the action plan. It needs a long term committment.

This summarises the situation regarding the information available to establish all pollination projects wherever they may be.  It is known that plants chosen from horticultural lists will grow and pollinators will come, but the impact the plantings will have is unknown because there is no evidence database.

For example, the following diagram sets out some of the commonly recommended plants but there is no evidence as to their relative effectiveness.  Some general principles for developing a nectar point are to choose plants that can grow readily from seed or can be readily propagated vegetatively to form relatively large long-lived patches by spreading and clumping.